Google plans to merge Android and Chrome OS into one unified operating system. It will purportedly be released in 2017, but a demo version should be available next year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
This fresh development, which indicates Google's ambition to design a successful operating system that works for both mobile devices and computers, was reported Thursday. It cited sources inside Google who claim that the merging process is already underway and that it has been ongoing for two years already. The idea is that Chrome will be folded into Android, with the latter emerging as the end result, merely integrating certain Chrome OS components.
Google representatives were quick to reject the WSJ report. For instance, the search giant is reiterating its strong commitment to Chrome OS, as Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president for Android and Chrome, stated in a recent Twitter post. An unidentified Google representative also echoed this sentiment in an interview with Fortune, citing that the company intends to keep Chrome OS for the foreseeable future. Google also continues to pursue Chromebook partnerships, particularly in the education industry, the representative added.
Many observers, however, are not surprised by the possibility of the Android and Chrome OS merger. Android is a highly successful platform, and Google has been increasingly allowing its apps to work on current Chromebooks. This development also highlights the difficulty in getting the Chrome OS app ecosystem to gain traction as opposed to the high level software and app innovations in Android. Presently, Chrome OS remains "just a browser" with few major exciting features, Ars Technica noted.
